by Hwang Fai, Kam Pui Sze. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-63). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.v / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Definition of e-learning --- p.1 / Traditional Classroom Learning vs. E-learning --- p.2 / Significance of Interactivity and Multimedia in E-learning --- p.2 / Cultural Difference in Learning Styles and Habits --- p.4 / Benefits of E-learning --- p.5 / Substantial Cost and Time saving --- p.5 / Meet Need-driven Demand --- p.5 / Flexibility and Convenience Enhancement --- p.6 / Create Learner-friendly Environment --- p.6 / Increased Retention --- p.6 / Improved Collaboration and Interactivity among Students --- p.7 / Ease of Information or Materials Update --- p.7 / Limitations of E-learning --- p.7 / Huge Initial Capital Investment --- p.8 / Technology Dependent --- p.8 / Technology cannot completely replace Human Contact --- p.8 / Personnel Resistance --- p.9 / Not all Courses are delivered well by Computer --- p.9 / Not all People are suitable for E-learning --- p.9 / E-learning on the Corporate Level --- p.10 / The Corporate E-learning Market --- p.10 / Barriers of Implementation --- p.11 / Significance of E-learning on the Corporate Level --- p.11 / Cost Savings to Corporations --- p.11 / Performance Improvement --- p.12 / Competitive Position --- p.12 / E-learning Development In Hong Kong --- p.13 / Chapter II. --- OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH / Chapter III. --- RESEARCH HYPOTHESE --- p.17 / Conceptual Framework: Flow construct --- p.17 / Research Hypotheses --- p.19 / Direct Influence on Flow --- p.19 / Direct Influence on Perceived Playfulness --- p.21 / Direct Influence on Intention to Use E-learning --- p.21 / Chapter IV. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.22 / The Sample --- p.22 / Definition of Variables --- p.23 / Chapter V. --- RESULTS --- p.24 / Results for Tests for Direct Influence on Flow --- p.24 / Results for Tests for Direct Influence on Perceived Playfulness --- p.25 / Results for Tests for Direct Influence on Intention to use E-learning --- p.26 / Chapter VI. --- DISCUSSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.28 / Chapter VII. --- LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY --- p.35 / Chapter VIII. --- CONCLUSION --- p.37 / APPENDIX --- p.46 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.56

This study examined the attitudes of English as a second or other language (ESOL) students who used computers/word processors to develop skills in writing English. Two primary questions were investigated: what are students' attitudes toward using computers to write English and what are students' attitudes toward learning computer and word processing skills? The subjects were 40 ESOL students enrolled at South Seattle Community College (SSCC) in technical programs and were required to complete a transitional English class that included business and technical writing . Students received 10 weeks of writing instruction on word processors. A 38-item attitude inventory created by Neu and Scarcella (1991) was used to measure students' attitudes toward ComputerAssisted Writing (CAW). An additional 13 questions helped identify subjects' native language, computer experience, and amount of time spent studying English. ChiSquare and t-test were used to examine the data. South Seattle Community College students' responses are reported and compared to Neu and Scarcella's ( 1991) results. The results of this study indicated that students' attitudes were significantly positive toward the writing process when using word processors. Foremost, students acknowledged that using a computer helped them develop confidence about their ability to write in English and they would recommend that other international students learn to use word processing for writing their papers. In addition, students' perceptions toward learning and developing personal computer (PC) skills were significantly positive. When SSCC data was compared to Neu and Scarcella's (1991) data, four statistically significant differences with respect to general attitudes towards writing emerged. Students stated that computers helped develop confidence in their ability to write (item I 0), helped them pay more attention to grammar (item 3 ), punctuation (item 33), and spelling (item 21). There were no statistical significant difference with respect to attitudes towards PC's: although SSCC students generally felt less positive about learning PC skills than their California counterparts.

Research has indicated that adolescents hold both negative and positive attitudes and have common misconceptions about breastfeeding that appear to result from their limited knowledge and reduced exposure to breastfeeding. The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding of adolescent male and female secondary school students. The study also sought to elicit information on factors that may influence the decision regarding future infant feeding methods. Self-efficacy theory was the theoretical framework to guide the study. This quantitative descriptive study, using a cross-sectional design, involved consenting secondary school students' completing a self-report questionnaire. The study employed purposive sampling and included 1845 males and females in both year-nine and year-12 at designated metropolitan and rural secondary schools in 2001. Analyses of the data were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (version 10.7). Statistical procedures involved chi-square analysis, Student's independent t-test and univariate analysis of variance. Spearman's rank order correlation coefficient was used to describe the relationship between the secondary school student respondents' knowledge of and their attitudes toward breastfeeding. The study results indicate that overall Western Australian adolescent secondary school students have less than ideal knowledge of breastfeeding which is consistent with findings from other studies. Higher breastfeeding knowledge scores were reported in year-12 for both male and female students. For both year groups, female students had higher breastfeeding knowledge scores than male students. With regards to attitudes toward breastfeeding, students had a tendency for neutral responses to attitude questions. / However, overall and for both year groups, female students were found to be more positive towards breastfeeding than male students. The comparison of rural to metropolitan students found that metropolitan students had higher breastfeeding knowledge and were more positive towards breastfeeding than rural students. The metropolitan students were also more inclined to consider breastfeeding future children than rural students. Consideration of breastfeeding future children was similar for both male and female students. Comparison of the combination of gender, year and site revealed higher breastfeeding knowledge and more positive attitudes to breastfeeding in both rural and metropolitan female year-12 respondents. Sources of efficacy information, particularly persuasion/education, were more prominent in female secondary school respondents than male secondary school respondents when considering factors influencing adolescent attitudes toward breastfeeding. The adolescent's acceptance of gender identity could be argued as a reason for the more positive breastfeeding attitudes in female respondents. Students who were breastfed or exposed to breastfeeding either through role models (ie mothers), reading about breastfeeding, media or family influence had greater knowledge and were more positive towards breastfeeding. This study suggests that breastfeeding and lactation information needs to be addressed in the early years of development in order to increase breastfeeding knowledge and promote positive attitudes. Information pertinent to the health benefits of breastfeeding needs to be included in health and nutrition education and addressed through targeted education programs. / Education and health promotion activities could be guided using the four sources of efficacy information in relation to the benefits of breastfeeding. Opportunities for the role modelling of positive breastfeeding attitudes, and consistent support from the school-based health professionals may assist to reduce the adolescent student's unmet informational needs in relation to breastfeeding. A recommendation from this study is the provision of lactation and breastfeeding education for community-based high school nurses as these health professionals are a key element in health education and health promotion in the school setting.

Sororities play an important role in the process by which sorority women become gendered by influencing members' ideas about what it means to be a woman. Women and men become gendered through regular social interaction with other women and men, and sororities have a particularly strong impact on their members because sorority women spend nearly all of their time with other Greeks. Gender is one of the major ways that we organize our lives and gender is the texture and foundation of our social, political, and economic worlds. This is why we must consider the consequences of gender negotiation in all arenas, including sororities. For the most part, the sorority women who participated in this study negotiated traditional gender arrangements and constructed conservative identities. Sororities on this Pacific Northwestern university created and perpetuated conformity, dependence and political apathy in their members. These organizations developed an environment in which gender stereotyping and victimization was learned and then legitimized. Within these organizations, however, are pockets of resistance, non-compliance, empowerment, and what could be called "potentially feminist" gender negotiation. / Graduation date: 2003

The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of single fathers attending a community college. Single fathers comprise one-fifth of all single parent families, yet little research has been done on this growing segment of the population. A phenomenological approach was utilized to examine the attributes, needs, and challenges facing single fathers who were community college students. Seven single fathers attending a community college in the Northwest participated in this study. The fathers had primary responsibility for raising their children, had been enrolled at least half-time, and were attending the college for a minimum of one year. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews and a focus group. Seven main themes emerged from the data: 1) Ambivalence, 2) Stability, 3) Finding support, 4) Mattering, 5) Success Factors, 6) Barriers, and 7) How the college can assist single father students. Three factors were identified as a result of the study. (1) Attending community college improved family relationships. The flexibility of class scheduling allowed the fathers to spend more time with their children. (2) The experience of single fathers and single mothers attending community college are remarkably similar, with the exception of how each accessed support networks. Single fathers were much less likely to initially identify and utilize support networks. (3) How single fathers viewed their identity and their definition of masculinity changed. Prior to attending community college, their primary identity was related to their work. As students, their identity shifted to being recognized as good students and good fathers. / Graduation date: 2005

The present study examined the influence of the demographic variables of age, gender, major in college, and level of education or class standing on individuals' stage of moral development. Trevino's interactionist model, combined with the basic principles of cognitive moral development, provided the theoretical basis for this study. One-hundred and forty-four university students, representing business, home economics, and liberal arts majors, participated in this qualitative study. The research instrument used was the Sociomoral Reflection Measure (SMR), designed to measure an individual's level of moral development. The SMR considered four stages of moral development: 1) unilateral and simplistic, 2) exchanging and instrumental, 3) mutual and prosocial, and 4) systemic and standard, in addition to three transitional stages: a) transition 1/2, b) transition 2/3, and c) transition 3/4. The stage achieved indicated an individual's level of moral maturity. One-way analysis of variance statistics were performed to test the research hypotheses. Frequencies and percentages were also calculated for both the demographic and sociomoral stage data with regard to the total sample. Analogous with previous research, findings indicated that age directly related to an individual's current stage of moral development. Concurrently, the class standing variable also was found to influence one's stage of moral development. Conversely, the remaining demographic variables tested differed from previous studies, failing to prove significant. A collegian's choice of major was not found to influence stage of moral development achieved. Furthermore, the impact of gender-based differences on stage of moral development did not appear to be of significance. / Graduation date: 1995

This study focused on the worldminded attitudes of Japanese college students in Japan and in the United States. The effects of studying abroad and the change in attitudes between Japanese college male students and female students were examined in terms of worldmindedness, which is defined as a frame of reference, or value orientation, favoring a worldview of the problems of humanity, with mankind rather than nationals of a particular country as the primary reference group. In this study worldminded attitudes are defined as attitudes about religion, immigration, government, economics, patriotism, race, education and war. This study tested the hypotheses that worldmindedness scores would increase as a result of the study program in the United States, and that Japanese women would score higher worldmindedness scores than would Japanese men. The data were collected from Japanese students who studied at Oregon State University for five months, and those who had not studied abroad before. The results revealed that woridmindedness scores increased as a result of the study in the United States, supporting the first hypothesis. While female students began their foreign study significantly more worldminded than their male counterparts, only the males changed significantly. Paradoxically, the females who did not study abroad scored more worilmindedness than the females who did. However, the sample size for females was very small (N=18). Generalizations drawn from the experimental group data are limited by the low completion rate: the data were collected during the last two weeks of a five-month period at Oregon State University, and only 40 percent of the questionnaire were completed. Therefore, those who had adopted more worldminded position might have been over represented. A replication of the study could insure against partial data. Also, it would be important to know if Japanese students revert back to their less worldminded views after returning to Japan. Longitudinal studies could resolve this issue. / Graduation date: 1991

This study assessed the differences between teachers'opinions and students' responses regarding the influence of clothing on adolescents' decisions to participate in social activities. Survey methodology was used with the final samples consisting of 336 students and 140 teachers who were drawn from six high schools located in economically depressed and non-depressed areas of the state of Oregon. All of the predominantly female students were enrolled in home economics classes. Their ages ranged from thirteen to twenty years with the mode being 16 years. The teachers taught a variety of subjects that spanned from science and math to liberal arts. The majority of the teachers had been working in their profession for eleven or more years. On the student and teacher questionnaires the question was asked why students did not participate in social events or school extracurricular activities. The following response choices were listed on both questionnaires: a) My parents will not let me go; b) I do not have the "right" clothes to wear; c) I don't have enough money; d) I really do not have any interest in going. On the teachers' questionnaire two additional reasons were listed: e) I do not have transportation; f) It conflicts with my work. A 7-point Likert type scale was used. The statistical treatment of data included descriptive statistics, t-test calculations and qualitative analysis. It was hypothesized that feelings of perceived clothing deprivation (not having "the right clothes to wear") would be the most important reason that students do not attend a social event. This hypothesis was based on previous literature that suggested clothing is very important during the adolescent stage of development. Contrary to this hypothesis, the students' mean scores revealed that not having the "right clothes" was the least important reason for not attending of the four reasons listed. As hypothesized, teachers rated not having "the right clothes to wear" as the least important factor for students deciding not to attend a social event. This hypothesis was exploratory in nature. One of the most important findings of this study was that teachers and students responded in the same pattern. This was not what was expected, but it was conceptually interesting to know they think alike rather than differently. / Graduation date: 1991

This study investigated the opinions of bicyclists/pedestrians regarding how safe from a bicycle traffic injury they felt while on campus. Most earlier studies had been concerned with the taxonomy of bicycle/pedestrian accidents. Because of the paucity of research on attitudes of bicyclists and pedestrians, this research was undertaken. The survey instrument was developed in accordance with recommendations from the Oregon State University Survey & Research Center. It consisted of 19 Likert type, degree of variation statements, and ten biographical questions. The sample consisted of 214 students registered for the winter term of 1986 at Oregon State University. Participants completed the Traffic Safety Attitude Survey and then were placed in the following categories: male, female, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The Survey instrument was designed to test four null hypotheses and to define other broadly held opinions regarding traffic safety on campus. Hypotheses One through Three tested interaction between bicyclists/pedestrians. The fourth hypothesis tested the difference between male bicyclists and male pedestrians and female bicyclists and female pedestrians. The Chi Square Test and a two-way analysis of variance were employed to test the hypotheses. Two significant findings emerged from hypothesis testing: 1) bicyclists and pedestrians differed on the opinion that as much as possible is being done to provide campus bicycle traffic safety, and 2) pedestrians endorsed stricter adherence to bicycle traffic regulations than bicyclists. There was no difference between bicyclists and pedestrians regarding feelings of safety from a bicycle traffic-related injury. Finally, gender had no effect on perceptions of campus bicycle traffic safety. Analysis of the results of this research provided the following conclusions: 1. Male bicyclists felt the least at risk of injury from a bicycle traffic-related injury on campus. 2. Female pedestrians felt the most risk of injury from a bicycle traffic accident on campus. 3. Female bicyclists, female pedestrians, and male pedestrians shared similar opinions regarding risk of exposure to a bicycle traffic accident on campus. 4. Approximately 30% of all subjects felt there is a problem with interaction between bicyclists and pedestrians on the OSU campus. 5. Approximately 46% of the pedestrians and 25% of the bicyclists felt risk of sustaining a bicycle traffic-related injury on campus. 6. Approximately 38% of the pedestrians and 25% of the bicyclists support some form of bicycle traffic restriction. 7. Pedestrians endorse stricter adherance to bicycle traffic regulations that bicyclists do. 8: Pedestrians felt less is being done to ensure bicycle traffic safety on campus than bicyclists did. / Graduation date: 1986

The purpose of the study was to determine whether the motivational factors, vocational personalities, barriers to enrollment, and enabling factors of the reentry women nursing majors were different from those of women nursing majors of traditional college age. Participants were female nursing majors from all four grade levels of a baccalaureate program at one midwestern university.The Chain-of-Response Model (Cross, 1981) was adapted as a conceptual framework. The sample consisted of 46 reentry women and 73 traditional college age women nursing majors. The Education Participation Scale (Boshier, 1982) and The Vocational Preference Inventory (Holland, 1985) were utilized. Barriers to Enrollment and Enabling Factors questionnaires were compiled by the researcher after a review of the literature and interviews with ten reentry and ten traditional age women nursing majors. The qualitative data were used to strengthen the study by triangulation with the quantitative data.FINDINGS1. The reentry women differed from the traditional age women in terms of motivational factors. The reentry women were found to be less motivated by social contact and more motivated by social stimulation than the traditional age women nursing majors.2. Differences in vocational personality were found on two scales of The Vocational Preference Inventory (Holland, 1985): (a) The reentry women scored higher on Acquiescence, and (b) The traditional age women scored higher on Self-Control. Both groups scored highest on the Social Scale.3. Barriers to enrollment that were of greater importance to the reentry women included: cost of college, other responsibilities, fear of failure, arranging for child care, attitudes towardeducation by family of origin and significant others. Barriers that were of greater importance to the traditional age women included: leaving home and friends and being tired of attendingschool.4. Enabling factors that were of greater importance to the reentry women included: encouragement from husbands and college personnel, change in responsibilities at home, change in priorities, making a decision on a career in nursing, and deciding they could get a degree in nursing if they really tried. The support of significant others was an enabling factor of greater importance to the traditional age women.